Breaking down Somerville's Amazon headquarters bid

Earlier this month, the city of Somerville submitted a proposal to host Amazon’s second North American headquarters, joining its Seattle-based campus.

“We invite Amazon not just to set up shop here, but to become a community and regional partner committed to advancing these goals with determination and creativity,” wrote Mayor Joseph Curtatone. “In Somerville, we like to say that while others have innovation districts, we are the Innovation City.”

The project is worth $5 billion in construction, and Amazon representatives say it will bring an estimated 50,000 jobs to the area. In total, 50 cities in North America have submitted bids. The city of Boston proposed a location in Suffolk Downs in East Boston.

“This is a smart-growth, regional, multi-city proposal,” Curtatone wrote in the introduction. “It promotes a collection of mixed-use sites that would spark not just office development, but also affordable and market-rate housing, retail and R&D, directly adjacent to existing and coming MBTA (lines).”

The total “campus” would be 13.2 million square feet, with room to expand an additional 3.8 million square feet across different sites.

Some sites are highly redeveloped, such as Assembly Square, while others are up and coming, including Everett Avenue and Union Square. The city sites a number of draws for each area, including multi-modal transportation and mixed-use spaces.

According to the proposal, sites are “pre-permitted and shovel-ready,” meaning once Amazon accepts the bid and Somerville approves the details, work can begin.

“It’s a regional opportunity to have a strong presence in Massachusetts by creating an ecosystem around Amazon’s values of connectivity and modularity,” wrote Curtatone. “(Amazon can) tap into the phenomenal wealth of ideas, talent and diversity concentrated in the Greater Boston area.”

Incentives for Amazon

The proposal invites Amazon to be a “long-term partner” in the city and surrounding areas, following the city’s long-term “SomerVision” plan, including ideas for sustainability, economic development and more.

“With Amazon’s depth and capacity and our proven record of social and economic progress, we are certain we can create a new model that will cement Amazon’s legacy, not just as an industry giant, but also as an agent of change,” the proposal reads.

With the “brain power triangle” encompassing Harvard University, Tufts University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), staffers argue Greater Boston is the preferred area for this development.

According to the proposal, near 57 percent of residents in Somerville hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, with more than 127,000 students moving on to tech-related occupations.

With the extension of the Green Line and the newest Orange Line stop in Assembly Row, it’ll be easy for Amazon’s employees to both live and work in the area. And, states the proposal, with the “vibrant arts scene,” dozens of festivals and a strong education system, there is always something for people to enjoy, the proposal continues.

With brand-new additions at Somerville High School in just a few years and the redevelopment of Union Square, Somerville is, and will continue to be, transforming.

“We know that we’re onto something great here,” reads the proposal. “We’re confident that Amazon will want to take a serious look at investing in our dynamic community.”

For more information, visit https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/ospcd-economic-development/amazon-t-tapping-vitality-greater-boston to read the full proposal.